It is Europe’s biggest tax fraud ever: Official Berlinale entry Other People’s Money tells the story of how a criminal network of megarich investors, bankers, and lawyers stole 146 billion Euros from European taxpayers. Beta Film has joined forces with production companies X Filme Creative Pool (Michael Polle, Babylon Berlin), True Content Entertainment (Ole Søndberg, Millennium trilogy), and EPO- Film, as well as broadcasters ZDF, DR and New8 on Other People’s Money. The fictional series, inspired by true events, will premiere in February in Berlinale’s prestigious Panorama section in attendance of cast and crew.

Other People’s Money is the latest addition to Beta’s exceptional Berlinale line-up, headed by the official Berlinale opening film The Light by Tom Tykwer (Babylon Berlin; Run Lola Run), starring Lars Eidinger (Babylon Berlin; Dying) and the Panorama world premiere Cicadas by Ina Weisse (The Audition), starring Nina Hoss (Yella; Barbara; Tár).

 

Other People’s Money by showrunner/creator Jan Schomburg (I’m Your Man; Above Us Only Sky) is inspired by the “CumEx-Files” investigation by European news media outlets that uncovered a global finance network which defrauded European state treasuries, and thus every European citizen, of almost 150 billion Euros. The eight-hour series follows the culprits, as well as two women from two different countries trying to put a stop to it – but the states and the banks seem to prevent their efforts at all costs.

 

The series stars Lisa Wagner (From Hilde, With Love; The Pool), Karen-Lise Mynster (Madame Ida), Justus von Dohnanyi (Downfall), Niels Strunk, David Dencik (No Time to Die; Chernobyl), and Fabian Hinrichs (Divided We Stand), among others. Dustin Loose (Divided We Stand) and Kaspar Munk (The Rain; Kamikaze) share directing credits. Directors of Photography are Clemens Baumeister (Divided We Stand) and Laust Trier Mørk (The Responder).

 
Other People’s Money is produced by X Filme Creative Pool and True Content Entertainment in co-production with EPO- Film. Commissioning broadcasters are ZDF and DR in co-production with New8; New8 is a cooperation of the public broadcasters NRK, SVT, RUV, YLE, NPO, VRT, DR, and ZDF. The series is co-funded by Fisa+, GMPF, the European Union, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, The Nordvisions Fund and Croatian Audiovisual Center. As an international partner, Beta Film handles worldwide sales.